Most people are familiar with the term “Armageddon” from Biblical narratives. Essentially, it refers to an “end times” scenario wherein the forces of good are embroiled in a war against the forces of evil. In the Bible, it is described (in the New Testament) as the last battle between good and evil before the Day of Judgment.
The terms “good” and “evil” are actually relative, and whether one considers a position of one or the other depends upon a person’s personal set of values and vantage point. Actually, to be sure, one side almost always has a deleterious impact when opposites interact if balance is not achieved. The most extreme form of this scenario can be divided into God vs the Devil, and these are boiled down to “spirituality (God) vs materialism (Satan).
American government is based on two branches of government. Clearly, to most people, Democrats are considered (currently) to be the most “spiritual” branch, while Republicans are clearly perceived as more “materialistic.” If we examine our recent history, it is apparent that these two approaches are clashing, and the recent decisions from the Supreme Court of The United States (SCOTUS) bear this out.
Donald J. Trump’s presidency seems to mark the turning point that is giving the materialistic GOP forces a great thrust. Most people know Democrats tend to embrace initiatives that are more “people friendly.” It’s not that they are against important financial initiatives…it’s apparent they don’t cut out the human factor. The GOP sees things differently.
This war between the right and the left, Republicans vs Democrats, materialists vs humanists, has ramped up during the past few years. Observers have known that former President Trump’s goals to “Make America Great Again” essentially meant there would be the goal of going back to a previous state and condition.
This generally means that formerly disenfranchised people who won a modicum of consideration before the advent of the Trump administration are slowly but surely losing gains previously acquired.
This should not come as a surprise, however, because if you have been paying attention, the Supreme Court has been stacked with political sycophants whose values line up with a previous, more backward America. Attendant with this has been a campaign of disinformation that has made this atavistic movement possible. False news and the rumor that the presidential election was stolen from Trump have energized a gullible right-wing constituency to such an extent they are actually turning back the hands of time as if in a deluded stupor.
The most recent casualties of this situation are as follows: Biden’s promise to provide student loan relief for college students has been shot down by SCOTUS. It is clear this is a travesty and a very, very disingenuous move, since poor and middle-class learners are the ones most adversely impacted.
Affirmative Action: Republicans have been chomping at the proverbial bit to get rid of this strategy, which has historically helped level the playing field for Black Americans and other minorities who would not even be considered if this legal device was not in place. Keep in mind that this has happened while legacy students continue to be the most favored beneficiaries of academic largesse.
Abortion rights: Roe vs Wade, a law that has been in place for 50 years was overturned, and it was done with such malice that it is set to actually cause some women to lose their lives.
LGBTQ rights: The opposition to the rights of the LGBTQ community has repeatedly come under fire. The most recent is a false initiative formulated by right-wing Christians who didn’t even have a real case: they fabricated a scenario and then voted saying a vendor is free to discriminate against LGBTQ persons. This opens the possibility that other people can arbitrarily be subjected to discrimination and exclusion.
The foregoing is the harbinger of things to come from the antics of our toxic, stacked SCOTUS that is obviously embracing the materialistic side of the political binary. Gratefully, there are three justices who have voted against the GOP initiatives.
The outcome of this sociopolitical Armageddon will depend on whether or not those who value people and progress are able to win out over, or find balance with, those whose allegiance is wholly with materialism. If materialism wins, it will mark the “end times” for American democracy. Which side are you on? A Luta Continua.
